Editing IPCC:AR6/WGII/Chapter-12 (section)

=== FAQ 12.5 | How can Indigenous knowledge and practices contribute to adaptation initiatives in Central and South America? ===

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''Indigenous Peoples have knowledge systems and practices that allow them to adapt to many climatic changes. Adaptation initiatives based on IK and practices are more sustainable and legitimate among local communities. It is important to build effective and respectful partnerships among Indigenous and non–Indigenous researchers to co-produce climate-relevant knowledge to enhance adaptation planning and action in the region.''

There are 28 million Indigenous Peoples in CSA (around 6.6% of the total population of the region). They belong to more than 800 groups living in territories covering a wide range of ecosystems—from drylands to tropical rainforests to savannahs, coasts to mountains—and that share the land with many other cultural and ethnic groups. In the region, Indigenous Peoples are often categorised as groups that are highly vulnerable to climate change because they are frequently affected by socioeconomic inequalities and the dominance of external powers. They often experience internal and external pressures on their communal lands in the forms of pollution, oil and mining, industrial agriculture and urbanisation. On the other hand, it is important to recognise that Indigenous Peoples have knowledge systems and practices that allow them to adapt to many climatic changes. Increasing scientific evidence shows that adaptation initiatives based on Indigenous knowledge and practices are more sustainable and legitimate among local communities.

The wide range of adaptation practices based on IK in the region include, among others, increasing species and genetic diversity in agricultural systems through community seed exchanges; promotion of highly diverse crop systems; ancient systems to collect and conserve water; fire prevention strategies; observing and monitoring changes in communal ecological–agricultural calendar cycles; recognising changes in ecological indicators like migration patterns in birds, the behaviour of insects and other invertebrates and the phenology of fruit and flowering species; and systematisation and knowledge exchange among communities. These practices represent a valuable cultural and biological heritage.

The Kichwa in the Ecuadorian Amazon cultivate Chakras (plots) within the rainforest. These plots combine crops and medicinal herbs for both self-consumption and selling. Similar systems, like the Chakras in the high Andes, the Milpas in CA, and the Conucos in northern SA, have been resilient to social and environmental disturbances due to their outstanding agrobiodiversity (more than 40 species and varieties can be present in one plot), microhabitat management and the associated knowledge and institutions.

Traditional fire management among Indigenous Peoples of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana is another adaptation strategy based on a fine-tuned understanding of environmental indicators associated with their culture and worldviews. In these countries, Indigenous lands have the lowest incidence of wildfires, significantly contributing to maintaining and enhancing biodiversity. These traditional practices have helped to prevent large-scale and destructive wildfires, reducing the risks posed by rising temperature and dryness due to climate change.

The traditional agriculture of Mapuche Indigenous Peoples in Chile includes a series of practices that result in a system that is more resilient to climate and non-climate stressors. Practices include water management, native seed conservation and exchange with other producers (trafkintu), crop rotation, polyculture and tree–crop association. Similar practices can be found in Mayan communities in Guatemala at the other end of the sub-continent.

Despite the increasing recognition and integration of IK in adaptation practices and policies in the region, important barriers for a more effective and transformative integration remain. Some of the most relevant barriers include limited participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in adaptation planning and the lack of sufficient consideration of non-climatic socioeconomic drivers of vulnerability such as poverty and inequality. Also, scientific knowledge is commonly prioritised over traditional IKLK. However, some transformative efforts are emerging. Bolivian Indigenous organisations represent a notable example by contesting normative conceptions of development as economic growth and replacing them with more comprehensive views like harmony with Mother Earth and ‘Sumak Kawsay’ or ‘Good Living’.

Several strategies have been proposed to overcome existing barriers, including building effective and respectful partnerships among Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, co-producing climate-change-relevant knowledge and recognising Indigenous Peoples as active participants in the continual development of autonomous strategies to preserve their practices, beliefs and knowledge. The implementation of these and other strategies can significantly enhance adaptation planning and action in the region.

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